Andrii Oprysok, Head of Division, State Financial Monitoring Service, Ukraine

Mark Mattner, Head of Program, Regional Resource Governance in the Extractive Sector in the Fragile States of West Africa, GIZ

Moderator

Mike Falke, Head of Section „Governance and Human Rights”, GIZ

Objective
Researchers estimate that Illicit Financial Flows (IFF) have caused an outflow of around 1 Billion Dollars from developing countries in 2012 alone. Not only do IFF constrain development worldwide by depriving the states of income from taxes but they also threaten the legitimacy of governmental action in the countries most affected. IFF withdraw resources from public funds through corruption, and bribery threatens equal access to public services thus undermining basic human rights. IFF are strongly linked to organized crime and terrorist funding. Thus, IFF undermine good governance and the rule of law.

IFF result from criminal activities in all sectors such as tax evasion, drug trafficking, poaching, illegal logging. Such illegal activities threaten the sustainable development of local economies. Countering IFF holds great potential to reinforce the impact of our governance interventions and to support our partner countries in mobilizing domestic resources.

Based on the research and practical insights presented by the speakers, participants will get an understanding of the phenomenon of illicit financial flows (IFF) its interrelation with development and especially governance challenges, and they will get ideas of possible actions they can undertake.

Introduction to definition, global character and volume of IFF and discussion of the detrimental effect of IFF on sustainable development, the implications of these effects for governance projects and consequences for the work of development cooperation

Presentation of and debate on effective counter measures on national, regional and international level, especially with a view to investigation, law enforcement, anti-money laundering and international cooperation in criminal matters